Stiliyan Petrov explains why he is not working with Aston Villa this season

Speaking to the Evening Times, Stiliyan Petrov has explained why he is not working under Tim Sherwood this season, having spent a spell coaching at Villa Park during the last campaign.

He said: “I was involved at Villa last season when Paul Lambert got sacked and Tim Sherwood took over. He invited me to come along so I was there for the last few months. He wanted me involved this season but I don’t think I’m ready to be committed to anything like that. I have been through a lot, my family has been through a lot, so while I am doing my coaching badges, I am working a lot on the foundation, we are trying to support a lot of people. I am quite busy.”

Petrov linked up with Sherwood in an assistant coaches role when Sherwood took charge of the club last season, replacing the sacked Paul Lambert.

The Villa hero, who played over 200 times for the Birmingham-based club, helped the club reach the FA Cup Final and remain in the Premier League, but he did not return over the summer.

Ray Wilkins was appointed Villa assistant, and Petrov has decided to take a break from football whilst he undertakes his coaching badges, and settles down in his normal life. The 36-year-old only recently recovered from leukaemia, and although he played for a Celtic legends side at the weekend, he is not ready to get back into the game consistently.

As Petrov is undertaking his coaching badges, it is clear he wants to get into the management side of the game in a few years, and it would be great to see the Celtic and Villa legend managing back at one of the clubs which adore him.

Billy Hawkins

Billy is a freelance writer who contributes to various sites concerning football. Known to possess an obsession with statistics, Eastern European club sides, and Victorian football, he focuses upon the untapped potential of the Football League in the belief it is more enjoyable than the Premier League.